In License Renewed, the most famous secret agent in the world pits his nerve and cunning against a dangerously deranged opponent – one prepared to sacrifice most of the Western world to prove that only he can make it safe from accidental holocaust. As the seconds tick away on the valued Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the world comes nearer this ironic annihilation; Bond comes neaIn License Renewed, the most famous secret agent in the world pits his nerve and cunning against a dangerously deranged opponent – one prepared to sacrifice most of the Western world to prove that only he can make it safe from accidental holocaust. As the seconds tick away on the valued Rolex Oyster Perpetual, the world comes nearer this ironic annihilation; Bond comes nearer a frightful death and ever nearer Miss Lavender Peacock....more

Community Reviews

3.0 to 3.5 stars. I remember reading this when I was around 13 and a big James Bond fan. This was the first original Bond story I ever read and the first by John Gardner (who went on to write 12 or 13 more). A good, solid story the captures the essence of Bond while updating his outlook to be more in line with modern thinking.

* In his Acknowledgements at the beginning of the book, Gardner tells us that all of the "hardware" used by Bond in the book is genuine and available one way or another. He then goes on to tell us that that used by Bond's adversary, Anton Murik, is not. This, I think, sets a broader tone, right at the outset: Gardner's books are going to try to tread a middle ground between Fleming's Bond and Movie Bond. It's a dicey proposition.

* But first, from Gardner himself: "I* The first Gardner Bond book.

* In his Acknowledgements at the beginning of the book, Gardner tells us that all of the "hardware" used by Bond in the book is genuine and available one way or another. He then goes on to tell us that that used by Bond's adversary, Anton Murik, is not. This, I think, sets a broader tone, right at the outset: Gardner's books are going to try to tread a middle ground between Fleming's Bond and Movie Bond. It's a dicey proposition.

* But first, from Gardner himself: "I described to the Gildrose Board how I wanted to put Bond to sleep where Fleming had left him in the sixties, waking him up now in the 80s having made sure he had not aged, but had accumulated modern thinking on the question of Intelligence and Security matters. Most of all I wanted him to have operational know-how: the reality of correct tradecraft and modern gee-whiz technology." Which would seem to leave a gap of about 16 years (from The Man With the Golden Gun [1965] to License Renewed [1981]). It isn't clear from this book (or the quotation above) how Gardner handles the gap, but Wikipedia opines that, "due to the timeframe change," the Gardner series "suggests" that Bond's earlier adventures took place not in the 50s and 60s, but rather in the 60s and 70s. Can it be that Gardner, during the course of 14 novels, never spells this out?

* This, of course, is another thing: 14 novels. More even than Fleming wrote. And starting with a character in his very late thirties, at best. (Indeed, Bond is already noting, in this book, a few gray hairs.) Just how old is he going to get?

* Well, what were the alternatives? "Period" novels from only a decade and a half earlier? Time travel? What else could Gardner do? I'll tell you. He could have created a new Bond; that is, a completely separate series with the character but not the history of Fleming's books. License Renewed could have become License Granted, and away we'd go with a young James Bond and nothing but blue skies ahead.

* But he didn't, so we have what we have, and comparisons between the two, instead of being largely moot, are relevant. And based on this first book, those comparisons do not redound to Gardner's credit.

* Not that it's a bad book; it isn't. It is, however, a shade tentative, which we might expect, and a bit slack, which we wouldn't. Gardner's prose isn't as tight as Fleming's, and neither is Bond. Oh, he's plenty tough, but he's not as hardboiled.

* At the same time, and this brings me back to where I started, Bond here tips toward the superman of the movies. M's line that if there's anyone who can pull off his latest mission, it's Bond, smacks more of the movies than Fleming's books. Bond himself seems to have fewer doubts about his superiority.

* Then there's that "gee-whiz technology" that Gardner mentions. Bond is here kitted out with a great deal of hardware--on his person, in his luggage, and in his specially modified Saab. What Gardner doesn't understand is that, to some extent, technology makes the man. The Bond of all this gimcrackery isn't the old-fashioned Bond of the novels (even if, at the time, he was cutting-edge). Finding him curled up on his comfy Sleepcentre bed, intently listening in to one of Murik's clandestine meetings on his fancy surveillance hardware is, I'm afraid, not the modern equivalent of Bond peering at Russians through a periscope in a dank, rat-infested tunnel beneath the streets of Istanbul. Bond has become the oxymoron of the films: soft, yet somehow infinitely superior to his enemies.

* Still, in terms of the plot, it isn't technology that kills credibility here, it's the plan itself. I won't say more than that it involves the simultaneous assault on several nuclear power plants. I don't need to say more. It's the same as saying that Goldfinger's plan was to rob Fort Knox. It's ridiculous, unworkable, and never believable.

* But I liked the book. Go figure. I didn't like it a lot (for these and other reasons), but I found it enjoyable. Partly, I suppose, for the fun of comparing it to Fleming's work. And partly because of Fleming's genius: after all, he created a character so beloved that this second series by another author makes sense, a character so transcendent that not even the film industry could kill him....more

James Bond returns after ten years away in this light, but entertaining read, License Renewed. I say License Renewed because I got the American printing, replete with freeways and all the expected mis-spellings, the original British version was called, correctly, Licence Renewed. Bond is called in to assist MI5 and Special Branch with an investigation into a known terrorist who's entered Great Britain. M puts Bond in, undercover, independent of them both, and before you know it tracing a terrorJames Bond returns after ten years away in this light, but entertaining read, License Renewed. I say License Renewed because I got the American printing, replete with freeways and all the expected mis-spellings, the original British version was called, correctly, Licence Renewed. Bond is called in to assist MI5 and Special Branch with an investigation into a known terrorist who's entered Great Britain. M puts Bond in, undercover, independent of them both, and before you know it tracing a terrorist has led Bond into a mad-scientist scheme that puts the world's nuclear power stations at risk of total meltdown.

The Americanisation of my copy seems somewhat apt though as the character of the novel is also somewhat out of kilter with its past. The Bond of John Gardner is much more modern, more confident, more reliant on gadgets – "gee-whizzes" as Gardner would have them (he claims in his introduction to have gone to some lengths to ensure the accuracy of all of Bonds gadgets) – and consequently much less fallible and much less believable (he is also a less cruel Bond which may suit some readers better). In fact, it seems like Gardner may have spent too much time studying the Bond movie canon and not enough on the novel. That said, I guess it's not all bad. Roger Moore (my least favourite Bond actor) was at the height of his Bond run at the time and Gardner's Bond looks positively Daniel Craig next to Moore in For Your Eyes Only which came out the same year.

The ten year gap is also odd. Rather than just ignoring it completely, Gardner deliberately explains this away as the British government's attempts to diminish the role of MI6 – M has only managed to keep Bond on in his old role by changing the name of the Double-O division to the Special Services division, leaving Bond as the only remaining 00 agent with a license to kill, but also leaving much less work than Bond really needs to fill his time. However, with this book coming out in 1981, and Colonel Sun having been published in 1968, that actually leaves a gap of 13 years. Gardner appears to be trying to place his book slap into the 80s, and ends up trying to drag the previous books from the 60s into the 70s. I don't understand why he bothered, and I don't understand why having bothered he didn't make the dates actually match up.

It's fun though, I raced through it pretty quickly and I definitely enjoyed myself while reading it. But, like Amis, he isn't Fleming, nor is this Fleming's Bond. In fact, Amis was a lot closer. Gardner did manage to write 14 Bond novels though, so hopefully he improves. I'm sure I'll find out....more

When I saw this on the shelf, I was pleased that someone had taken up Ian Fleming's mantle and continued the Bond adventures. I guess I've been out of it for a while, since the book was published in 1981. Gardner writes well and offers and a quick, engaging action story. Unfortunately, it has not stood up well to the test of time. The cold war is over, the futuristic gadgets look stone-age, and men and women have re-defined how they interact.

This book is dreadful. Gardner takes James Bond and removes everything that makes him fun. He drives a SAAB. Gone is the Walther PPK. So too is the action, grappling fight scenes or any sense of menace.The core (the very, very core) of the plot could have worked. Indeed, in some ways, the threatened attack is the same kind that we worry about today: terrorists hijacking and blowing up nuclear power stations.But this is essentially a very ham-fisted hostage situation. All the billionaire behind tThis book is dreadful. Gardner takes James Bond and removes everything that makes him fun. He drives a SAAB. Gone is the Walther PPK. So too is the action, grappling fight scenes or any sense of menace.The core (the very, very core) of the plot could have worked. Indeed, in some ways, the threatened attack is the same kind that we worry about today: terrorists hijacking and blowing up nuclear power stations.But this is essentially a very ham-fisted hostage situation. All the billionaire behind the plot really wants is money. Which will be in the form of diamonds. Dropped in the ocean. Somewhere.Although the writing is reasonable (which normally would warrant me leaving two stars) it's from John Gardner, not some novice learning how to write so he doesn't really get credit for stringing together a sentence. You expect that from a literary name.Instead you follow insipid scene after scene of non-action. Bond goes to a horse race. He learns how to steal a pearl necklace (Really? A training montage? Is this a Rocky film?). He drives around a bit (but only safely. He's in a SAAB. Ooooh. Racy). He gets let in, even though the villain knows who he is. The reader dies of boredom.Don't bother.Read Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks instead....more

In 1980 John Gardner was commisioned to take over the James Bond series after the famous spy was in a 12 year hiatus. The result was published the following year called Licence Renewed; The title couldn't have been further from the truth. Gardner was reluctant from day one to even take on James Bond; A series he thought simply stuck to rigid formula. This sorry excuse of thriller brings James Bond into the 80's by completely discarding Fleming's character entirely.

James Bond in this and all of GIn 1980 John Gardner was commisioned to take over the James Bond series after the famous spy was in a 12 year hiatus. The result was published the following year called Licence Renewed; The title couldn't have been further from the truth. Gardner was reluctant from day one to even take on James Bond; A series he thought simply stuck to rigid formula. This sorry excuse of thriller brings James Bond into the 80's by completely discarding Fleming's character entirely.

James Bond in this and all of Gardner's books shares nothing in common with Iam Fleming's Bond; He spouts one-liners in the vein of Roger Moore's Bond but the novels seem to have more in common with Timothy Dalton's tenure. However regarding this specific novel, his life style changes are rather irksome. His health consciousness takes away from his character as man who has vices in order to relieve himself from the harsh reality of his work. Another unfortunate sign of the films creeping into the books is lame suduction of the girls he encounters, they are as hollow as Roger Moore films with a variety of stupid names.

The main plot of this trite novel centers around a nuclear physicist Dr. Anton Murik. His motivations are entirely inane. He wants to prove that current nuclear reactors are unsafe by publicly hijaking them so they can meltdown so everyone could adopt his "Ultra-Safe" reactor. So what could he be proving other then possible lax security standards ? There is also some boring side plot involing his ward, Lavender Peacock, and his title as Laird of Murcaldy. Murik suffers the same problem of the later day James Bond film villians, they have no motivations the audience could sympathesize with. Fleming's best villians were driven by motivations anyone could see was important to said character, Auric Goldfinger's near sexual infatuation with gold and Sir Hugo Drax's disgust of English people. Anton Murik is simply a cookie cutter character with a lame motivation; He wants to have safe nuclear power plants around the world, so what ?

The rest of the characters in the book are right out of a bad Bond script. The henchman Caber is another muscle thug. The old Fleming regulars are mere shells of what they used to be, no longer leaving an impersination on you but just boring extras in the 007 universe. Gardner dosen't even get the girls right. A new character is introduced named "Q'ute", the female equivilent of Q from the films except that she is a nerd and entirely forgetable. Anton Murik's wife Mary Jane Mashkin is the only character that actually shines, especially during that high-frequency torture scene, but is quickly killed after revealing her true colors. The main Bond girl with the idiotic name of Lavender Peacock shares little chemistry or time with Bond but nevertheless, Gardner made sure to do the Bond checklist without regarding character....more

Having finished all the Fleming 007 novels as well as Amis' Colonel Sun I was ready to jump into the John Gardner titles. I wasn't sure what to expect. Gardner is definitely not Fleming and the new 1980s 007 is much closer to the Bond of the movies than the Bond of Fleming's novels. The book was nevertheless fun to read. Fleming's plots were relatively simple in contrast to the more complicated plots of the movies. Gardner's plot line was much more akin to the latter. Whereas Flemings Bond was gHaving finished all the Fleming 007 novels as well as Amis' Colonel Sun I was ready to jump into the John Gardner titles. I wasn't sure what to expect. Gardner is definitely not Fleming and the new 1980s 007 is much closer to the Bond of the movies than the Bond of Fleming's novels. The book was nevertheless fun to read. Fleming's plots were relatively simple in contrast to the more complicated plots of the movies. Gardner's plot line was much more akin to the latter. Whereas Flemings Bond was gadget-free, Gardner's Bond is fully equipped by a new Q Branch. There were some occasional goofy elements in the plot, but the only notable failing was Bond's Saab 900. I just couldn't picture it....more

I read this back in the '80s, but not since then. I am only 3 chapters in but sadly have already found two things that made me cringe and one that made me wince.

Ok, I thought maybe it was first-time jitters, so I read the second book in the series to give John G a chance to find his feet. But he didn't. I got the twist almost from the off, and I'm not a trained secret agent, so I'm pretty sure Bond wouldn't have been fooled.

Also and most importantly, the James I love is a sexist, racist snob. ThI read this back in the '80s, but not since then. I am only 3 chapters in but sadly have already found two things that made me cringe and one that made me wince.

Ok, I thought maybe it was first-time jitters, so I read the second book in the series to give John G a chance to find his feet. But he didn't. I got the twist almost from the off, and I'm not a trained secret agent, so I'm pretty sure Bond wouldn't have been fooled.

Also and most importantly, the James I love is a sexist, racist snob. This one pulls his punches. So he isn't James.

My mom liked the thriller/mystery genre so there were a lot of these books hanging around the house. As a rule, I didn't read them but there was a point where I must have been hard up for anything to read and found myself enjoying this book.

I knew James Bond entirely from the movies at that point in my life (early teens), and, as the book stuck more closely to that Bond that Fleming's, it was OK. It was an interesting experience when I met Fleming's Bond a couple of decades later.

As a kid I was always pretty lucky tracking down books. My aunt ran a second hand book shop and whenever I got hooked on a series, she’d help to find the books I was after. When I was really young, it was the Charlie Brown comic strip books which appealed to me – and she plied me with a great deal of them. But by the time I was nine years old it was James Bond who had grabbed my attention. And I loved those books – even if looking back now, I have to admit I probably didn’t truly understand themAs a kid I was always pretty lucky tracking down books. My aunt ran a second hand book shop and whenever I got hooked on a series, she’d help to find the books I was after. When I was really young, it was the Charlie Brown comic strip books which appealed to me – and she plied me with a great deal of them. But by the time I was nine years old it was James Bond who had grabbed my attention. And I loved those books – even if looking back now, I have to admit I probably didn’t truly understand them all. What does ‘killed with ignominy’ mean anyway?

I can’t tell you how much I treasured these books – their covers, the stories within, and even the adverts for other spy stories at the back of the books. On weekends, rather than getting out of bed, I’d select a book at random, flick it open to any old page and start reading, and then keep reading till one of my parents would holler for me to drag my good-for-nuthin’ butt out of bed. (I may be exaggerating slightly there!)

But there was a limit, because Ian Fleming only wrote fourteen James Bond books – or more precisely, twelve novels and two collections of short stories (and the rogue Bond story, James Bond in New York which appeared in Thrilling Cities). After a few years my paperbacks were pretty well thumbed and dog-eared – and I began moving on to other things. I had devoured all the written Bond that I could – I so I thought.

Rural Australia, back in 1981 wasn’t big on literary news – hell, even top 10 bestseller lists were not that important. My hometown didn’t even have a proper bookshop. The newsagent fulfilled the town’s literary needs with a shelf along the side, and even then, half of that was filled with Mills and Boon books. But it was here that my mother found a copy of John Gardner’s License Renewed – the first new James Bond book in about twelve years. I didn’t even know it had been written. But my eyes must have been wide with delight when my mother presented the book to me. Wow – a new James Bond book!

Now at this stage I didn’t know who John Gardner was. I hadn’t even heard of Boysie Oakes. Had I known, I must admit I would have found it curious to see Gardner chosen to be the Bond continuation author, as he had (allegedly) been quite vociferous in his contempt for the Bond character in earlier interviews.

Here’s a snippet from Donald McCormick’s Who’s Who in Spy Fiction (1977 Elm Tree Books) in which Gardner opinion of Bond is expressed. NB: I must add here, that while the entry on Gardner does have quotes from the man himself, the passage below is McCormick’s spin on how Gardner viewed Bond. The veracity of the information is open to debate.

Like LeCarre, Gardner detested the character of James Bond. (There is little doubt that anti-Bondism actually pumped the necessary adrenalin into the veins of quite a few would-be writers in this period.) While he was proud and happy to be the only full-time drama critic on a weekly newspaper in England, the challenge of a new career as a novelist was accepted with enthusiasm. Though he reacted to the Bond era in much the same way as LeCarre, Gardner evolved his own type of spy story as a send-up of Bondism and the whole game of Intelligence. Where LeCarre evoked gloom and tragedy, Gardner indulged in comedy and laughter. The character of Boysie Oakes was not merely a comic anti-hero, but a positive antidote to Bond.

But Gardner did inherit the Bond mantle, and maybe his slightly cynical attitude to the Bond character was a big plus, particularly in this, the first of his many Bond books. There’s a few passages where Gardner attempts to analyze the Bond character and what makes Bond, Bond, and not just another spy pastiche. These explorations are quite successful, and not only flesh out the character, but add a layer to the already established Bond mythos.

I think it is fair to say that Gardner wrote for the Roger Moore – James Bond generation. It is obvious he had read and studied his Fleming, but there is also a sense of the cinematic Bond creeping into the stories. There was Bond’s new car, a Saab Turbo – nicknamed ‘the Silver Beast’ which could come straight from the movies and rivaled the Lotus Esprit, which made such an impact around the world when it debuted in The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977 – only three years earlier. Then there was Q’s new assistant, Anne Riley, nicknamed Q’ute. I know you are groaning, but you’ve got to remember I wasn’t even a teenager when I read this book, so to me, this was gold.

But as a teenager, Bond’s seduction of Q’ute (or is it Q’ute’s seduction of Bond?) probably was a bit over my head. Not the sex and seduction stuff, but the psychology of it. Above I mentioned there were passages where Gardner attempted to analyze the Bond character. This is one of them. The seduction takes place on a gun range at headquarters, where Bond is cleaning, dismantling and reassembling a new weapon (a Browning 9mm). Here Bond’s actions have a dual meaning. The gun is a phallic symbol (Gardner even makes an in-joke about the 1970′s Triad Panther Bond book covers – which featured girls sitting astride big guns), and as Bond ‘caresses’ the weapon, it is intended to excite Q’ute. Instead, it has the opposite effect. And in the process shows that Bond cares more about the gun, than he could about any woman. This is re-enforced shortly after with a cold reference to the death of Vesper Lynd in Fleming’s Casino Royale.

Onto the story. It appears that MI-5 and Special Branch have a problem with an international terrorist named Franco, who has been secretly meeting with a disgraced nuclear physicist, Anton Murik. Murik apart from being a physicist, is also a wealthy philanthropist, and the Scottish Laird of the Murcaldy. They figure something potentially dangerous is in the offing, and they require some assistance from MI-6. M agrees to help, but chooses to do things his way. He thinks James Bond is the right type of man for a job like this. Bond is not technically 007 in this story, as the double-O section has long since been disbanded, but M still uses Bond as a licenced trouble shooter, and still affectionately refers to him as ’007′.

Bond’s mission is to ingratiate himself on Murik, gain his trust and find out what dastardly plot both he and Franco are planning. M briefs Bond thoroughly, not just on Murik, but also on his mistress, Mary-Jane Mashkin, and his ward, Lavender Peacock. And then Bond goes to work, shoehorning his way into Murik’s life.

The chapter where Bond ingratiates himself on Murik at Ascot races is a bit muddled. On one hand, the horse race itself echoes Fleming enough that it is damnably readable. But the pick-pocket passage, wherein Bond utilises some time honoured thievery skills to remove a priceless pearl necklace from Murik’s ward, Lavender Peacock is contrived. Even more so, when Bond turns up at Murik’s private box with the pearls, claiming he found them on the floor outside the door. If Murik was in the midst of planning a major terrorist operation and a unknown gentleman shoehorned his way into his life, then surely he would have had him killed. There’d be no games, or tests – which make up the next portion of the novel. It’s a shame in a way, as I said, the raceday, as far as a passage of descriptive Bondian writing was on track (pardon the pun), but then it trotted away from Gardner with unbelievable actions, which are wedged into the story simply to throw the two protagonists together. The scene ends with Bond being invited to join Murik at Murcaldy castle in Scotland. It’s an invitation that Bond gladly accepts.

Thankfully once Bond is in Scotland and at Murcaldy castle and a guest of Murik, the story is more cohesive and the actions of the characters make sense – or at least in the Bondian universe.

At Murik’s castle, Bond is potentially offer employment with Murik, but first he has to pass a test. And that test involves facing off against Murik’s number one minion, Caber, in a wrestling match. Caber is a bear of a man, and Bond stands little chance in a fair fight, so he uses a gadget supplied by Q’ute, to turn the odds in his favour. Personally, I see this reliance of gadgets a bit of a distraction, and only serves to make the character impotent, but as you’d expect Bond wins the fight, and consequently Murik’s favour.

Now a (somewhat) trusted member of Murik’s team, Bond is given a few details of Murik’s plan, which is to hijack several nuclear reactors simultaneously around the globe, and hold the world to ransom. Armed with the information required, Bond simply has to report to M, and his mission is over. Of course, things go wrong, and Bond has to use his wits to save the world (and the girl) once again.

Gardner appeared to take on (or was assigned) the task of bridging the literary Bond with the filmic Bond. I can understand why this decision was made, as the films – with the recent mega hit Moonraker – were incredibly popular then, while the popularity of books was beginning to decline (the ’60s ‘spymania’ bubble had well and truly burst by this time). Gardner achieves mixed results with his marrying on the two Bonds, as well as creating a few problems for himself later on in the series – most notably his novelisation for Licence to Kill which incorporated story elements from Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die.

The most notable links to the film Bond in Licence Renewed are the initial briefing passage with M – I could almost see Bernard Lee as I read the chapter – and the extrapolation of Q Branch. There’s also a passage where Bond makes his escape from Murik castle in his tricked out Saab, with Murik and his minions on his tail. However, the chase culminates with Bond being forced off the road, to crash, and being rendered unconscious. When Bond awakens he finds himself strapped to a torture table. There isn’t a laser aimed at his genitals, and Murik does expect Bond ‘to talk’ (then ‘die’), but the passage echoes the filmic version of Goldfinger, more than Fleming’s novel of the same name.

It’s strange reading this book again after so many years. When I read it as a boy, I can unashamedly say, I loved this book. Now, many years have past, and I have read many more spy books and watched many more spy films, and while I still enjoyed reading Licence Renewed, I see it as a patchwork quilt Bond story, with its disparate patches not quite matching up. John Gardner is not Ian Fleming, but he is a very good writer in his own regard, and each section works on its own, but not placed next to each other. As I have suggested, there are Flemingesque sections, filmic Bond sections, and Gardner’s own, slightly cynical exploration of the Bond character. Outside of the Bond universe, there’s also the legacy of twenty years of popular spy fiction. For example, there’s one passage, where Bond is being interrogated that owes a very large debt to The Berlin/Quiller Memorandum. I can imagine Quiller fans almost being outraged at such a blatant re-appropriation of an incident, that is so (well for me anyway) associated with Quiller, and hijacked for Bond series. With so many different styles taking place, it’s almost remarkable that the book is readable at all. But it is. Very.

I still like Licence Renewed, but maybe not with the passion I did as a boy, but I still recommend Gardner to Bond fans, and if you’ve never read any of his books, I suggest you do so, but also do it with an open mind. There is only one Ian Fleming, so if you expect a Fleming book, you’re sure to be disappointed. If you’re after a brisk thriller, in the Bond tradition, then Gardner’s Bond continuation novels aren’t bad. They’re flawed to be sure, but not ‘bad’....more

When the Laird of Mulcaldy, a nuclear physicist has regular meetings with Franco, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists alarm bells begin to ring.John Gardner’s first James Bond novel sets out to carry on from where Ian Fleming left off. He sets his story in the year it was written – 1981 – but otherwise tries to keep the continuity from the Fleming stories.The double-0 section has been disbanded as surplus to requirements but M recognises that he still needs a blunt instrument for special sWhen the Laird of Mulcaldy, a nuclear physicist has regular meetings with Franco, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists alarm bells begin to ring.John Gardner’s first James Bond novel sets out to carry on from where Ian Fleming left off. He sets his story in the year it was written – 1981 – but otherwise tries to keep the continuity from the Fleming stories.The double-0 section has been disbanded as surplus to requirements but M recognises that he still needs a blunt instrument for special services to the country and retains his best man for the role. This first stab at a Bond story lacks something; the glamour is there but Gardner is no Fleming when it comes to keeping a story moving, but does still keep the glaring plot holes. Bond does become something approaching a secret agent though by ditching an Aston Martin or a Bentley as his choice of car; but for a Saab! Give our hero some credit in matters of taste; what's wrong with a Jaguar or a Range Rover?Really this is nowhere near as good as Casino Royale or From Russia with Love; but knocks Diamonds are Forever and the Man with the Golden Gun into a cocked hat....more

...Written and set in the 1980′s, in Licence Renewed James Bond is older and times have changed. M is still his boss, but ’00′ status no longer officially exists (though M refuses to acknowledge this), and Bond’s duties are far more mundane. That is, until he is required to return to his old role and save the world, yet again, from a mad genius intent on world domination...

...Written and set in the 1980′s, in Licence Renewed James Bond is older and times have changed. M is still his boss, but ’00′ status no longer officially exists (though M refuses to acknowledge this), and Bond’s duties are far more mundane. That is, until he is required to return to his old role and save the world, yet again, from a mad genius intent on world domination...

...Bond must stop Anton Murik, Laird of Murcaldy (aided by international terrorist Franco) from taking over six nuclear plants and holding the world to ransom. Needless to say, there is a glamorous Bond girl with an appropriately ludicrous name (Lavender Peacock, known as ‘Dilly’, pronounced with great relish by Jeremy Northam as Bond) and an enormous villain (reminiscent of Jaws) named Caber...

...It’s a typically tense, fast-paced romp, punctuated by testosterone-fuelled battles, car chases and romantic interludes. Anton Murik is a Bond mad scientist villain who sounds like he could have been played by Charles Gray (I particularly loved Gardner’s description of the mad and dangerous gleam in his eyes resembling lava). Dilly squeals, simpers and looks gorgeous, and of course Bond was always going to come out on top (ahem)......more

There are quite a few formulaic things I expect from anything dealing with agent 007. A bond novel must have fast cars, beautiful women, gadgets, fast cars, and pure evil bad guys. Sprinkle in a few trademark Bond moments and you have the foundation for yet another adventure for the world's most famous spy. In License Renewed by John Gardner you can tell from the word go that Gardner gets Bond. The first thing he did was to update 007 to the time he was writing 1982 in this case. The fluid storyThere are quite a few formulaic things I expect from anything dealing with agent 007. A bond novel must have fast cars, beautiful women, gadgets, fast cars, and pure evil bad guys. Sprinkle in a few trademark Bond moments and you have the foundation for yet another adventure for the world's most famous spy. In License Renewed by John Gardner you can tell from the word go that Gardner gets Bond. The first thing he did was to update 007 to the time he was writing 1982 in this case. The fluid story he uses to explain Bond's long absence is truly a work of genius and shows his mastery writing. Gardner breathes extra life into the character and gives Bond his own edge. The villain in the book with his henchman is devious, diabolical, but believable. Having to work in concert with MI5 was a nice wrench in the narrative. The second to last chapter was a bit of filler and could've been combined with the previous chapter. There were times that my eyes weren't reading fast enough and my pulse was pounding. To give the Gardner books room to grow I give License Renewed 4 out of 5....more

I read a few James Bond novels when I was in my late teens and was generally disappointed with them. In the films he is a cross between Raffles, Superman and Hugh Hefner. In the Fleming source material I remember him as a cruel, snobbish chauvinist who plays second fiddle to the villains (I might be wrong about that, only read Dr. No / Goldfinger / Man With the Golden Gun / and Moonraker, and it was a long time ago), and in this retread by Gardner he is all of those things and worse, because heI read a few James Bond novels when I was in my late teens and was generally disappointed with them. In the films he is a cross between Raffles, Superman and Hugh Hefner. In the Fleming source material I remember him as a cruel, snobbish chauvinist who plays second fiddle to the villains (I might be wrong about that, only read Dr. No / Goldfinger / Man With the Golden Gun / and Moonraker, and it was a long time ago), and in this retread by Gardner he is all of those things and worse, because he is also dull. Crushingly dull.

I only bought this as it was cheap and it was the first Bond book written after Fleming's death, with Gardener gaining the estates backing to kick-start the franchise. I cant even be bothered to detail any of the plot or tell you about any of the characters because you could create them yourselves with as much effort as it would take you to complete your 5 year olds join-the-dots book. The writing somehow trumps the cliches for crapness though.

Forget an infinite number of monkeys on typewriters: one alone could knock out a thriller more exciting than this crap. ...more

Bond fans can be a funny lot. Some have no problem with six different movie Bonds but dismiss any Bond novel by anyone other than Fleming. Any character with a sixty-year history, however, seems ripe for different interpretations. Perhaps it’s time, then, to reconsider some of the post-Fleming Bond works.

Pegasus Books must agree with me, as they’ve reissued John Gardner’s fourteen Bond novels. LICENSE RENEWED, the first, originally appeared in 1981. I read it in high school – and liked it – butBond fans can be a funny lot. Some have no problem with six different movie Bonds but dismiss any Bond novel by anyone other than Fleming. Any character with a sixty-year history, however, seems ripe for different interpretations. Perhaps it’s time, then, to reconsider some of the post-Fleming Bond works.

Pegasus Books must agree with me, as they’ve reissued John Gardner’s fourteen Bond novels. LICENSE RENEWED, the first, originally appeared in 1981. I read it in high school – and liked it – but thirty years later, I had largely forgotten the plot. That’s an advantage, really, because I felt like I was seeing it fresh.

Truth be told, I greatly enjoyed re-reading it. The usual Bond clichés are all there, but that’s okay. To me, the familiar Bond formulas are actually part of the appeal. You know all the ingredients well, so you can judge their quality within a certain batch and how they’re mixed together. In LICENSE RENEWED, Gardner gives us a memorable villain, some good suspense, a plot that’s just plausible enough, and some contemporary elements to keep things topical (from a 1980s view point, of course.). I do hope that he mixes things up a little more in succeeding efforts, but LICENSE RENEWED is a solid beginning, regardless. It isn’t the best Bond story that I’ve ever read, but it was certainly fun, and Gardner kept me turning the pages.

Mind you, Fleming purists will find reasons to gripe. Gardner keeps the continuity of Fleming’s novels but doesn’t age the characters (The introduction to the 2011 edition explains that Gardner chose to have Bond figuratively “frozen in ice.”). The movies’ influence is also felt here, as Bond carries both gadgets and wise cracks in abundance. Finally, some of the updates (Bond drives a Saab and smokes low tar cigarettes!) admittedly look a little silly in retrospect. Again, though, I’d note that the character is sixty years old, and sometimes, it’s just fun to see different creators take a crack of him.

People who really want Fleming’s Bond can always reread Fleming’s novels. Personally, I’m ready to crack open Gardner’s next installment....more

James Bond is one of the most well known names in the entire world. Since I was very young I've heard of his legendary movies and books. This is why when I picked up James Bond "License Renewed", I had high expectations. Fortunately I was not let down in the slightest. "License Renewed" is the first fourteen of the James Bond series by John Gardner.

In "License Renewed", James Bond is fighting to save the world from perhaps the most dangerous and crazed villain yet, Dr. Anton Murik. He's the La James Bond is one of the most well known names in the entire world. Since I was very young I've heard of his legendary movies and books. This is why when I picked up James Bond "License Renewed", I had high expectations. Fortunately I was not let down in the slightest. "License Renewed" is the first fourteen of the James Bond series by John Gardner.

In "License Renewed", James Bond is fighting to save the world from perhaps the most dangerous and crazed villain yet, Dr. Anton Murik. He's the Laird of Murcadly as well as a brilliant nuclear physicist who invented what he calls "the Murik Ultra-safe Reactor". In the book Murik claims that it's "the ultimate in reactors-one which not only provides the power but safely disposes of the waste, and cannot go wrong" (Gardner, 40). Murik was ridiculed for his design and kicked out of the company. Many years later the MI6 found out he was meeting with world renowned terrorist Franco. James Bond is sent in to investigate and is shocked as to what he finds. Murik has world destruction planned.

The main theme of "License Renewed", is never give up. This theme is a huge part of Bonds mentality as well. An example of this is when *SPOILER ALERT* he's aboard a huge luxury air craft and being held against his will. "Pity about not being able shave. If they were to die, he would rather go looking his best. Negative thinking. Bond cursed himself (Gardner, 233). One of the most interesting characters in the book's Caber, a violent Scotsman who has a broken nose for most of the book and works for Murik. One of my personal favorite quotes from him is "'I suppose ye got Franco, then. But it'll do ye nae bluddy guid for yersel, Bond', Caber whispered in his ear. 'The Laird's mor'n a mite upset-and wi' good reason. Ocht man, he's longing tae set his eyes on ye. Just longing for it. I doubt he has some grand plans for ye'". Beyond writing an interesting book John Gardner is an interesting person.

John Gardner was the second person ever allowed to write a James Bond book. This fact alone makes him memorable. However, he has also lived a very interesting life beyond the Bond series. Gardner grew up in the small town of Seaton Delaval and originally wanted to be a magician. He turned out to be fairly good at this and preformed for a few years before deciding to become a journalist instead. Toward the end of his journalism career started writing novels. The first book he published was called "The Liquidator", and was a spoof on James Bond. The book was an over night succes and became very popular. This motivated Gardner to write a sequel. The sequel was succes as well and was the cause of a newspaper writing "Gardner Writes full time now". This prompted him to leave journalism and become self-employed. Overtime Gardner wrote more novels and eventually caught the eye of (Ian Flemmings ltd). They invited him to write them and while he was reluctant, his agent was insistent. Fortunately for him (and us) a one book deal turned into much more and he eventually wrote 2 more books than even Ian Flemings. All in all John Gardner may not have started out as a writer but it was clearly ment for him.

In conclusion I think that "License Renewed", is a fantastic book beyond even my high expectations. John Gardner is a fantastic author and I think that Ian Flemmings ltd was incredibly wise to trust him with the series....more

Not a bad jaunt but it's one of those books that when you put it down, it's flaws become obvious. Why would 007 want to stop someone from ending unsafe nuclear proliferation? Admittedly, the villain's plot is dangerous but it seemed more "amoral" than truly "evil". Then again, this book was written during the early days of the Reagan era so that certainly had something to do with it - and because of that, Bond comes off a bit like a staunch right-wing apologist than a super-spy.

This was another fast read, featuring Ian Fleming's James Bond, written by John Garner. This book and plot stayed true to Ian Fleming's James Bond. This is the first of 16 James Bond books written by Gardner; I look forward to reading the remaining 15.

Nice to visit an old character but I still like him in the movies better. It lost some of the charms of the man and his sexy ways with women. Story moved along with constant activity and Bond always finding his way out of difficult situations.

In the beginning of the book, I thought Gardner did a reasonably good job continuing the James Bond series after the rather long hiatus. But soon some things really started to bother me; the numerous references to Fleming's books makes this one feel an awful lot like fan fiction, and isn't the Gardner Bond a lot more like the movie Bond?

Another thing is that, even though Fleming did change Bonds birth year some, this being set in the early 80's, he must be about 60 or at least very close. Must hIn the beginning of the book, I thought Gardner did a reasonably good job continuing the James Bond series after the rather long hiatus. But soon some things really started to bother me; the numerous references to Fleming's books makes this one feel an awful lot like fan fiction, and isn't the Gardner Bond a lot more like the movie Bond?

Another thing is that, even though Fleming did change Bonds birth year some, this being set in the early 80's, he must be about 60 or at least very close. Must his love interest be 27? Kind of silly and again, the book Bond was never irresistible to women, that is the movie Bond. The last third of the book has far to many improbable and illogical events and actions taken by the characters....more

Almost a Bond and very readable, this was a first effort by a competent author who tried to step into Ian Fleming's shoes.

he does a reasonable job of capturing the spirit of the Bond character, an adventurer who really is not as tough as the men around him. he is lucky, and daring, and smart, but not the he-man that has been sensationalized by Daniel Craig, and maybe not even as tough as Sean Connery.

Where Gardner falls shy of the mark is in the story itself. It's good, it's very much in the spiAlmost a Bond and very readable, this was a first effort by a competent author who tried to step into Ian Fleming's shoes.

he does a reasonable job of capturing the spirit of the Bond character, an adventurer who really is not as tough as the men around him. he is lucky, and daring, and smart, but not the he-man that has been sensationalized by Daniel Craig, and maybe not even as tough as Sean Connery.

Where Gardner falls shy of the mark is in the story itself. It's good, it's very much in the spirit of Goldfinger, but it just doesn't have the spark and the style that made Godfinger special.

I'll take License renewed over The Spy Who Loved Me or Live and Let Die, for what it's worth....more

I pulled this book, dating from my adolescence, from my shelves in response to a recent celebrity attempt at a 'Bond novel': Sebastian Faulks' Devil May Care. Faulks has greater aspirations (or pretensions) with the by-line 'writing as Ian Fleming'. Gardner, by contrast, is just using Fleming's characters.

Unfortunately, Gardner's novel was formulaic; its narrative arc seemed to owe more to the films than to Fleming. And setting the novel in the 1980s, with a grizzled, semi-retired but still athlI pulled this book, dating from my adolescence, from my shelves in response to a recent celebrity attempt at a 'Bond novel': Sebastian Faulks' Devil May Care. Faulks has greater aspirations (or pretensions) with the by-line 'writing as Ian Fleming'. Gardner, by contrast, is just using Fleming's characters.

Unfortunately, Gardner's novel was formulaic; its narrative arc seemed to owe more to the films than to Fleming. And setting the novel in the 1980s, with a grizzled, semi-retired but still athletic Bond, didn't really work. A passable entertainment, but no more....more

A good rendition and homage for those craving another classic Bond story. The writing was a little muddy at times. The exciting fight and chase scenes were confusing and harder to follow than the originals. It also wasn't as tight as it should have been: repetitious sections, overviews that were unnecessary. A fun easy read though.

I remember really enjoying the first several books of John Gardner's James Bond series. I liked the fact that Bond was a little older and (perhaps) a little wiser. Shortly after I read License Renewed, Never Say Never Again came out with Sean Connery as Bond, and I remember being disappointed that the movie producers hadn't followed Gardner's lead and made Bond closer to Connery's apparent age; essentially doing for Bond what he did for Robin Hood in Robin and Marian.

Not as good as many of the Bond books, this one was still fun to read. The plot line kept me interested and the fight scenes, although hard to write well, were still good.

Not to spoil the story, but there's a big Scottish henchman named 'Caber' that has a big role in the story and in my mind I kept seeing "Fat Bastard" from the Austin Powers movies. Whenever he spoke it was in FBs voice. I kept thinking to myself, "so this is where they got the idea of that 'Fat Bastard' for the movie!"

Had a couple stylistic renderings from the Fleming novels, but took on more of the shape of the movies. Still enjoyable but slow at certain parts and a very slow unraveling ending to overcome all odds.

Exactly the right brain candy for a trip. Didn't really feel as different from Fleming as I might've thought, but maybe I'd have noticed more if I'd read the two authors consecutively. Still, I feel good about Bond in Gardner's capable hands.

Bonus: Gardner weaves a little commentary about his society through here. Fleming's was more likely to make me embarrassed to be caught reading his words.

A pretty tame story that doesn't really require much of Bond until the last dozen or so pages, and even then he doesn't do but so much. More entertaining for the narration of James' thought process when confronted with obstacles. I'm also deducting points for every instance when the words "James" and "darling" were used in the same sentence.....which is more than a few.

This first post-Fleming Bond updates our hero to the early 1980s. He drinks less. He smokes low-tar cigarettes. He jogs.

An entertaining, if long-winded pastiche of material from the earlier Bond books (and even movies). While Gardner lack's Fleming's sheer verve in conveying brutality, violence, and sex, he does display a fine hand with setting and suspense.

Before coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s, John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all, Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so sBefore coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s, John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all, Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker.

Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series....more